No comments about Friday the Thirteenth: Live at the Royal Albert Hall.

5 comments about Live.

1. THE TRILOGY OF DEBUT ALBUMS, 1993-1996
   
   Music (1993)
   Debut Trilogy Part 1: An original, energetic, raw, explosive fusion of rock, hip hop, funk, reggae and rap. About two-thirds of the songs are re-worked versions of the band's best songs from the Omaha years. The other third are butt-kicking new songs made just for this release. This album says, "This is what we can do."
   
   Grassroots (1994)
   Debut Trilogy Part 2: An exploration of their roots, a musical journey of growing up from the ground up. This album says, "This is where we came from."
   
   311, "self-titled" or "the blue album" (1995)
   Debut Trilogy Part 3: A crisp, tight, bold, definitive, well-oiled machine. This album says, "This is what we are."
   
   The previous three LPs are all tied for my favorite 311 album, and I admit my hard-hitting rock-rap bias.
   
   Enlarged to Show Detail (1996)
   A "behind the scenes" DVD Epilogue to the Debut Trilogy containing interviews, music videos, concert footage, etc. - with a bonus EP of outtakes from 1995.
   
   
   THE TRANSITION YEARS, 1997-2001
   
   Transistor (1997)
   4th Studio LP: The next phase in the evolution begins with this ambitious and psychedelic exploration of 311's unique style. This is their longest album, and it shows a marked increase in the sing/rap ratio. Transistor is my 4th favorite release (or 2nd fave if you count the first three LPs as one).
   
   311 Live (1998)
   A complilation of live versions of songs from the 1993-97 releases. If you only get into 311's first four studio albums and you enjoy listening to music that was recorded live in concert, then you will probably like this CD. However, I recommend the 311 Day DVD (2004) instead.
   ...
   Enlarged to Show Detail #2 (2001)
   DVD Epilogue to the Transition Years containing interviews, music videos and concert footage - with a bonus EP of outtakes from 99 and 01. I actually like this well-produced DVD better than the original ETSD.
   
   
   THE NEW SCHOOL, 2002-?
   ...
   Live in New Orleans - 311 Day (2004)
   Only four songs are missing from this epic five-hour concert (which I attended). This DVD features the live performance of 64 songs, mostly from 311's 1990-2003 releases. A handful of rare outtakes and covers were also played, including a reggae classic from Led Zeppelin.



2. If you haven't seen 311 live, do it now! Seriously, this album proves that they sound just as great.
   
   Unfortunatly, this is just a souvenir. It does feature three ample changes (applied Science with it's drum solo, ) and 2 songs not featured on the albums (well, one's rare, who's got the Herb makes it's only appearance here). These songs are must here's, but the rest are just a souvenir, with the atmosphere that most people love. I would rather just see them live whenever I can. I reccomend finding a way to pay for the live songs on a service.
   
   This ain't the live expirence. See them live instead, then save the rest for an afterthought. Do the rest.
   
   6.0/10



3. This is a fairly sweet live album from 311, even if it is a little predictable. Actually I'm glad to see that it's not just a live hits collection, however I do love "Transistor" and "All Mixed Up". My biggest beef though is where's "Do You Right"? I mean c'mon. This also, as good as it is, struggles in some spots to re-create their live energy. I'd send the newcomer to the "Greatest Hits" disc, and call this mostly a fanatic must, especially with "Who's Got The Herb" included. As always, listening to anything from 311 "Feels So Good".



4. This album ranks in the top three albums of all time. This band is simply the best...nobody can match their punk, funk, rock sound. A must have.



5. If you're not familiar with 311 or you're new, this album is a must for all fans alike. There are no fillers in this one and it's sure to keep you pleased.

   A fine note: We're tributed to a drum solo by Chad Sexton on Applied Science. Chad is an awesome drummer and you shouldn't look him over. There are also solos from P-Nut and Tim Mahoney. The quality isn't bad, and I prefer some of these songs live rather then the studio versions. Some great examples are Omaha Stylee, Hydroponic, Who's Got the Herb, Beautiful Disaster, and Nix Hex.

   Put it in, press play, and enjoy.

4 comments about In the Beginning (A Live Anthology).

1. The first 6 songs are intense riot/punk stuff,live in 77,and they rule.The 7th song is "acoustic" though it features nothing but an acoustic guitar and dual Ari Up&Nina Hagen vocals.The "dub era" songs are downright boring and don't even sound like dub to me (at least in the reggae sense of the word).I guess the cd is OK for the first 6 tracks,just not exactly the best bang for the buck.



2. There are two halves to this CD - one of the early, pre-Cut punk stuff, one of the later more overtly reggae/African influenced stuff. This is an accurate depicition of the band at these stages, full of irreverance and spastic musical joy. I love the Slits and saw them several times, this is more like what they were than any of their studio recordings manage to express.



3. These live recordings are much more interesting than the studio versions. The "punk era" performances are best, the later versions are less exciting. Overall, a good introduction to the band. It's just a pity that Budgie doesn't appear.



4. These live recordings of the slits are pretty awful, even by punk standards. The music plods and Ari, lead singer, sounds ghastly, like she doesn't know what to do with the mike. A very disappointing (& I would say exploitative) CD.

3 comments about Live Light.

1. Ride was one of the most underrated bands of the late-80s and 90s. They paved the way for Blur, Oasis and The Verve. This is a collection that showcases their best when they were at their best. The only downside to the disk is that it's basically a bootleg and the recording hasn't been mastered as well as it should. Maybe when the reunion comes...any takers? Still gets 5 stars from me.



2. This disc is a good document of Ride's 1994 Carnival of Light European tour. The selections are an interesting cross-section of the band's career to that date. Songs like Seagull, From Time to Time and End of the Universe show what a formidable live band Ride was. It is a shame that this release ignored many more prominent songs from the setlist (such as Vapour Trail).

   What we are left with is a quality recording of one of the better live bands of the '90s. In person, Ride was mindblowing. On Live Light, they are in good form as well. Live Light may not be the ideal document of a Ride concert, but it captures enough that it will leave you wanting more.




3. I was, quite frankly, disappointed with this live album. Ride sounds dispassionate and boring - quite unlike the innovative and exciting quartet I had long been used to. The few gems on the album include the infectious "Let's Get Lost" and the beautiful "At the End of the Universe," but overall, Live Light is a weak album. For collectors only.

5 comments about 25/6/00 - Parkbuhne Wuhlheide, Berlin, Germany.

1. One of the longest of the European bootlegs, "Berlin" clocks in with 32 songs. Amazingly, the band keeps up the energy level and drive until the last selection "Indifference" which, weighed down by a slightly out of tune bass line, collapses onto itself at the end. The rest of show more than makes up for this one slight disappointment, especially a stellar version of "Immortality" that will stay with you long after you have finished listening.



2. Disclaimer: Owner of all 72 official PJ bootlegs. This extremely lengthy bootleg is one of the longest shows in the 2000 Pearl Jam world tour, and at a whopping 31 songs it's tied for first place in number of tracks. The other three shows in Germany were all a lot shorter than this, so maybe the band wanted to give the Berliners a marathon session to make up for it. This show gets off to an incredible start, with the surprisingly effective opener "Sometimes," followed by some PJ's heaviest rockers like "Hail Hail" and "Breakerfall." There are some surprises in the set list, like rare appearances by "In Hiding" and "Evacuation," and a creepy "Improv" tune (which sounds rehearsed to me, but still effective). "Not For You," "Immortality," and "Rearviewmirror" combine to bring the first set to a tremendous and transcendent close, while the evening unexpectedly ends with the chilling "Indifference." Unfortunately, this show starts to run out of steam in the encore, with "Thin Air" and "Wishlist" really dragging, and there are painfully obvious errors in "Do the Evolution" and "Alive." But by that point, the band was understandably tired, and so was the crowd. The funniest moment of the show is in the break in "Habit," when Eddie Vedder murmurs "I am a donut," giving a possible translation of JFK's infamous "Ich Bin Ein Berliner" speech. Who knew the guy was a history buff?



3. I agree with the other reviewers, the CD is worth purchasing. The impressive number of songs and live version of Indifference make it so, but I recently purchased the San Sebastian concert, and by comparison, I was disappointed with the energy at the Berlin concert. Vedder doesn't talk much, the band seems to be going through the motions, and the crowd doesn't seem to get into it until late in the show. With so many European concerts to choose from I read many of the reviews and tried to be discerning with my first purchase (San Sebastian) but happened to be in a music store and picked up the Berlin concert on a whim expecting similar awesome results. Next time I will do alittle research before purchasing.



4. I've seen Pearl Jam live 4 times, and never got to hear Indifference live...So getting this was a must for me. The sound quality on this one seems better than some of the others I've bought. Lukin and I Got Id are icing on the cake for this set, which is well balanced covering all their work, and not overly heavy on any one album. This one, Verona 20/6 and Spodek 16/6 are the best of the 7 I've got from this series and if you're going to get just a few of these, then this one definitely should be on the short list!



5. A live version of Indifference is reason enough to buy this CD. Indifference as the closing song puts Berlin in the lucky seat of the world. A rarely performed gem, Eddie Vedder's vocals glow into the air. This bootleg will be a favorite of die hards.

2 comments about The Peel Sessions.

1. This is a great retrospective Fall collection, which has been compiled by former band-member Steve Hanley. It contains 17 tracks - one each from the first 17 (!) sessions that The Fall recorded for John Peel's legendary BBC radio show, covering the years from 1978 to 1993 (needless to say they've recorded quite a few more since then)....

   It's not a "best of" by any means, but these snapshots from various points in The Fall's long history ably demonstrate that despite the frequent and often turbulent changes to the band's line-up, their musical output has been consistently excellent throughout. Their sound has also changed a great deal since the band's formation in the immediate aftermath of punk in the late 1970's, but somehow or other, each of these selections is still almost instantly recognisable as being by The Fall.

   It's often the case that Peel session tracks end up sounding superior to the subsequently re-recorded versions which appear on albums and singles, and that's certainly the case with "Smile", "Athlete cured" and some of the other tracks on this cd, but all are very good indeed.




2. This lengthy CD is an overview of all the Fall appearances on The John Peel Show from 1977 to 1994, one song from each of 17 shows. This is interesting by itself in that it shows the wide range of line-ups and styles the Fall went through in that period. Needless to say, the performances run the gamut, too, from truly inspired and energetic versions of 'M5 #1', 'Idiot Joy Showland', '2 X 4' and the very early 'Rebellious Jukebox', to truly wretched and almost unlistenable (even to THIS Fall freek) versions of 'Winter' and 'Smile'. I sometimes wondered while listening to this album what compiler and long-time Fall Bassist Steven Hanley was thinking of by including such out-of-tune and sloppy versions. Of course The Fall have always loved to irritate...and you have to take that into account. This album may be better for full-out fans, rather than novices to the Wonderful and Frightening World that is the Fall. Don't let me put you off too much though...the gems on this disc truly sparkle!

No comments about Can't Live Without It.

No comments about A Part of America Therein, 1981.

5 comments about Live in the City of Light.

1. If you are any kind of fan of Simple Minds, you are probably thinking to yourself 'Why should I buy this one?'. After all, you probably already have 'New Gold Dream', 'Sparkle In The Rain', and 'Once Upon A Time'. And if this is true, then you have EVERY song on this album with the exception of 'Love Song'. Besides, live albums are always lame, aren't they?
   
   Well, that is what I thought for a long time. In fact, the only reason why I bought this album was because I found it used on vinyl (and in pretty good condition) for $2. I just thought it might be neat to have (even if I already have all the three aforementioned albums on CD). Little did I know that I was actually in for quite a treat! Simply put, this has to be the best live album I have heard. Or at least one of them. You actually get the feeling like you are there. Or at least wish you were. There is definitely a different vibe listeningto this compared to a typical studio album. Not to mention that the renditions of the songs themselves have quite a different feel from the studio versions.
   
   The bottom line: this is a must for a true Simple Minds fan. And if you are new to the band, this album might be a good place to start, as it includes many of their greatest songs of the 1980s.



2. This is a great live recording...period. For some reason I only received ONE CD instead of the two described in product details for this recording. Are the descriptions misleading or the seller made a mistake...?



3. I was introduced to this album by my sister back in 1990, and since then I have had to re-purchase it 3 times, all cd.
   This is to me the best album ever, I know it does have some errors, but Simple Minds really do give it there all, I wish I could of been there. If only all concerts were like this.



4. OK, be honest: how many live rock albums actually have performances that IMPROVE upon the studio versions of the songs? Besides The Who, Bob Dylan, and The Allman Bros. Band, it's a rare occurrence. On this magnificent set, Simple Minds justify the massive popularity they enjoyed in the mid-eighties. Every song is performed as if their lives depended on it, and on several tunes, they exceed the excellence of the studio recordings. In particular, "Book Of Brilliant Things" is amazing. This is a perfect document of an important band at the peak of their power. They would scale the heights again, but never at this level of popularity. I recommend this set as a terrific introduction to Simple Minds for the novice, or as a wonderful addition to the committed fans' collection.



5. Though the album has some flaws, it's still a great simple minds album and a great Live album. I really liked the East at easter version. Because I am a fan I say it's great, it's a classical live album.

No comments about Concerto.